Anyone looking for the best earbuds for small ears know that finding comfort and a secure seal is not as simple as just using the smaller ear tips supplied in the box. We small-eared types know that the narrowness of our ear canals is just one annoyance. Actually, the size of our concha (that recess in the middle of our outer ear) and tragus (the pointy bit above it, at the opening of the ear canal) and what they can accommodate are far more pressing issues when it comes to finding non-painful earbuds for smaller ears.
Pocketable earbuds that won’t stay in without excessive force are no fun. I know this because I’ve been testing the best wireless earbuds across all prices – including the best budget wireless earbuds – for years now, giving all the big names a chance to show that they’re good for small ears too, even when packing advanced features such as active noise cancellation (ANC).
These are my pick of the best earbuds for smaller ears, for every budget and whatever your priority, based on that experience. I can sport these earbuds without issue for long listening sessions, so I’m confident that you can too.
Becky Scarrott
I’ve reviewed over 150 audio products since becoming a tech journalist, ranging from super-budget earbuds to high-end Hi-Res Audio music players. Before joining TechRadar, I spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing everything the world of audio had to offer; before that, I was a professional dancer. I have small ears, as proven by Sennheiser’s 3D mapping of my auricles and self-made impressions, thanks to Ultimate Ears’ heat-to-fit earbuds, and this guide is based on my real-world use of these buds.
The quick list
Want to cut to the good bit – ie. exactly which earbuds are best for smaller ears? Below, you’ll find a concise roundup of the models that get our collective nod. You can also jump to a bigger write-up of each product.
The best earbuds for small ears overall
Lightness, supreme security and Sony’s stellar ANC – and you don’t even have to forego battery life! They’re marginally short on oomph sonically, but it’s a small price to pay…
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The best budget earbuds for small ears
The fact that JLab has put a keyring on the case gives you an indication of their size and, frankly, pricier keyrings exist – but don’t be fooled; the sound is better than the price suggests.
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The best high-end earbuds for small ears
They’re stunning and they’ll fit beautifully in both your bijou ears and your skinny jeans pocket, offering a neutral, refined and effortlessly classy sound – and a price tag to reflect that.
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The best small earbuds for budget noise cancellation
Sony’s diminutive, inexpensive buds have no business sounding this good (and nixing this much noise) for the money. No hi-res audio support, but that’s fair for the price.
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5. Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
The best earbuds for Samsung owners with smaller ears
Samsung’s 2022 buds offer a compact design, great sound, plus hi-res support and excellent head-tracked spatial audio if you have a Samsung Galaxy phone.
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The best wired earbuds for small ears
Want to stick to wires in case one falls out, despite your best efforts? Here’s an inexpensive option with great sound that actually landed in 2018, so in today’s landscape, it’s a classic…
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The best Apple earbuds for smaller ears
Apple’s Pro buds offer seamless perks with Apple devices, the noise cancellation is aces, and despite their (relative) weight, this now ubiquitous design does work for small ears.
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The best earbuds for small ears
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The best earbuds for small ears overall
I know, I know: Sony’s earbuds didn’t start out small – some of us struggled to achieve a secure fit and seal with early WF-1000XM iterations, didn’t we? But Sony listened to our feedback, and things have changed. The LinkBuds S are small and beautifully designed, to the point that they sit practically flush with my tragus when worn, so no gust of wind can dislodge them.
Leaving their tiny size to one side for a moment, the May 2022-issue LinkBuds S use the same V1 processor to combine noise cancellation and audio processing as the one in the (more expensive, and bigger) former flagship Sony WF-1000XM4, but here it’s working with a new 5mm full-range dynamic driver – which is also smaller than the XM4.
What makes them my top choice for most people with small ears? While the LinkBuds S may be small, their spec-sheet is pretty big. With the exception of multipoint pairing, it’s basically a full house as far as perks go. Noise cancellation can be turned on or off using the capacitive touch surface on each earpiece (which works well, despite their diminutive size) and an Ambient sound option offers 20 different increments, handled by Sony’s Headphone Connect app – again, the same one as used by Sony’s flagship earbuds.
Why the less-than perfect review score? Sonically, they could benefit from an extra ounce of zeal, verve and punch. That said, they’re perfectly musical and enjoyable thanks to the relatively detailed sound, openness across the frequencies, and reassuringly chunky performance through the low-end – I’d just like more dynamic potency through the leading edges of notes). Yes, it’s splitting hairs, but that’s my job…
Read our full Sony LinkBuds S review
The best budget earbuds for people with small ears
Just quickly glance at the stat above, the one that says 3.3g. Isn’t that incredible for the weight of a driver-housing, battery toting true wireless earbud? It’s not only 1.5g lighter than the Sony LinkBuds S’ weight per bud (listed above as our top choice for smaller ears), but the lightest we’ve ever heard of.
For reference, the Sony WF-1000XM4 weigh 7.3g each, more than twice as heavy. At the other end of the scale, the January 2022-issue 1More ComfoBuds Mini previously got the nod for the lightest earbuds we’ve ever tested, at just 3.7g per earpiece, but each JLab JBuds Mini earpiece comes in at almost half a gram lighter – and when it comes to something that sits inside the delicate creases and wells of your smallish ear for many hours, it actually counts.
These September 2023-launch earbuds are enough to bring on an attack of cute aggression they’re so tiny; put the case on your keyring (JLab has thoughtfully supplied one, in the box) and you’ll barely notice your listening gear is there.
And if they’re going to live next to your keys, it helps to know you’re getting an IP55 rating for rain and dust ingress. You also get multipoint (something much pricier flagship earbuds still lack – Bose, we’re looking at you) and a very good companion app. What don’t you get? Active noise cancellation, which will be a deal-breaker for many – although the passive isolation is better than you’d expect. And for such a low price, we wouldn’t really expect it anyway.
Sonically speaking, they’re good – and that is nothing short of incredible for this money, aided by the option to tweak the EQ in the app. They suffer just fractionally through the low end for clout and impact, but it’s a minor shortfall at this ultra-budget level.
Read our full JLab JBuds Mini review
The best high-end earbuds for small ears
If you like nice things (and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with liking nice things), you’ll like Montblanc’s bijou and beautifully crafted earbuds. There’s hi-res codec support – aptX Adaptive, to be precise – and the sound has been tuned by designer (of legendary headphones, including the Sennheiser HD 600) Axel Grell. Yes, it’s high-end stuff.
You also get IPX4 water resistance and an app that offers a five band EQ tab, unusual noise cancellation and ambient features and auto-off wearer detection plus a lovely representation of the remaining battery life in each bud.
If you’re happy to pay a premium for the quality build, finish and iconic snowcap emblem within earbuds that sound good, I support you – yes, sonically they tick all the boxes for depth and neutrality when listening to higher-resolution music files.
The only fly in the ointment is the MTB 03’s noise cancellation, which is good rather than excellent. In lesser-priced earbuds it wouldn’t be a huge issue, but for this money one might hope for the near ‘bubble of silence’ performance you get from the (much bigger) Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Ultra – because the Montblanc buds are priced to compete with the best. And in the battle for quietness, the clear winner is Bose… but as I mentioned above, those earbuds are pretty huge. Montblanc’s will work nicely for small ears without sacrificing audio fidelity.
Read our full Montblanc MTB 03 review
The best small earbuds for budget noise cancellation
Remember, I have small ears. So believe me when I say that if it’s affordable Sony noise-cancelling earbuds you’re after and your ears are on the small side, you won’t be disappointed with the Sony WF-C700N.
They’re not the last word in audiophile-grade sound (you only get standard-quality SBC and AAC codec support rather than anything hi-res, although Sony has included in its entry-level DSEE upscaler to make Spotify tracks sound better) and if you want higher-resolution support in a design that celebrates a smaller ear, you will need to invest more. That said, you do get Sony 360 Reality support here, which is even better if you pay for Tidal – because that music streaming platform has a wealth of content presented in Sony’s object-based immersive format.
What you need to know is that they’re lovely and small and they simply shouldn’t be this good for the money – specifically for sound and active noise cancellation. One key omission on the spec-sheet is auto-off feature when you remove them, but for this money it’s a compromise I’m more than happy to make. It’s also a shame that you only get one extra charge of them from the case, compared to two or three with most models here, but that’s balanced out by them offering excellent longevity in the buds from each charge.
Sony’s Headphones Connect app gives you control of the active noise cancellation, including Adaptive Sound Control optimized according to what you’re doing – yes, the C700N essentially learn how you tend to use them, then try to get with the schedule, so you can have lighter noise blocking in the office than when travelling. And even then, you can tweak it all in the app. When ANC is on, all but the loudest noises are softened, leaving me genuinely immersed in my playlists. Given the size of the earpieces, it’s no mean feat.
Read our full Sony WF-C700N review
The best smaller earbuds for Samsung owners
Up until the tablet and smartphone giant unveiled the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, Samsung’s record with earbuds, er, wasn’t great. But forget shiny kidney bean-shaped buds and other quirky design flourishes, the Pro 2 are compact, comfortable and all business.
First off, the basics are spot on: excellent active noise cancellation, voice detect, wearer detection and customizable on-ear controls – all of which work very well indeed – plus IPX7 water ingress protection.
But if you own a Samsung Galaxy device (and thus, access to the Samsung Wearable companion app and home-screen widget) you also get easy spatial audio with optional head-tracking, plus end-to-end 24-bit high-res audio, which is quite a rarity.
For the smaller-eared wearer, the improved fit and lightness here is also winning – the Buds Pro 2 are 15% smaller than Samsung’s last effort and 0.8g lighter per earpiece (5.5g vs the 6.3g Buds Pro) – but more importantly, the design fits me simply, without having to repeat that overly-aggressive twist-and-hope-to-lock-em-in technique some of us know only too well.
The only downside here at the time of writing is that an updated iteration on these August 2022-issue earbuds is expected in August 2024 – here’s what we know about the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro so far. Then again, that means we’re seeing some huge discounts on this still-excellent older model…
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review
The best wired earbuds for small ears
If you’ve ever nosed through an audiophile publication or Reddit thread, you’ll likely know about these wildly successful, multi-award winning entry-level wired earbuds. Despite their 2018 release date, they’re still serving up magical sound for the level. Note that these are 3.5mm terminated (meaning they use a regular headphone jack) but if you want a USB-C version, that’s called the SoundMagic E11D.
For the smaller-eared among us, wires can be attractive for reasons besides their improved sound quality (ditching a Bluetooth connection still means better-quality audio; even an aptX HD connection incurs a degree of ‘loss’ or compression) because wires tether your precious earbuds to each other – and of course to your source device. Anyone who’s ever had to frantically search under their train carriage seat for a popped-out earbud just as they pull into their stop knows the value of this.
But to call the SoundMagic E11C a safe bet for portable audio is to do these wired earbuds a disservice. Yes, their aluminum dark-metallic design makes them look and feel much more expensive than they are when slipped into your ears – but better than that, they sound move expensive too. They’re not the final word in sonic brilliance, (bass and treble can both be less-than-totally-refined), but they’re impressive for the price, and it’s easy to actually hear what you’re listening to thanks to good passive noise blocking.
The silver-plated copper cable is coated in TPE and aside from the environmental benefits of this type of coating (it’s a kind of thermoplastic rubber that SoundMagic says has “a reduced environmental impact compared to other commonly used plastics”) it also means the cable feels durable and doesn’t tangle, which anyone who uses Apple’s USB-C EarPods will soon appreciate…
Read our full SoundMagic E11C review
The best Apple earbuds for smaller ears
If you’re leaning towards an Apple product, there’s a reason this particular white stemmed design is so popular these days: it fits most people. And that includes those of us with smaller ears.
The Apple AirPods Pro 2 offer a powerful audio performance plus high-end noise cancellation in a build that’s smaller and more lightweight than plenty of the regular competition. OK, they weigh 5.3g, which is a little heavy given the competition specifically within this bijou budded list, but that includes the well-weighted stem, as well as the driver housing. I’ve called said stem a ‘toothbrush head shape’ in previous iterations (up to and including the second-gen. Apple AirPods 2019), but here the tail is a little shorter and tapers around slightly to hug your cheek, which aids with a secure fit.
Noise cancellation? It’s among the best in the business. Battery life? Not so much; six hours from the buds is distinctly average – although the 30 hours from the charging case is more impressive.
As always with Apple propositions, iPhone owners are the best-served customers here, thanks to unique features such as head-tracked spatial audio, Find My support including ultra-wideband precision location tracking (so your phone will literally point you to your lost buds) and seamless auto-switching between your Apple devices, which is basically the equivalent of multipoint connectivity on more devices than most – but remember, you need an Apple device to enjoy all of this (and ideally all Apple devices).
Read our full Apple AirPods Pro 2 review
How to choose the best smaller earbuds for you
Which earbuds shape is best for small ears?
Short answer: something compact and either teardrop-shaped or pill-shaped, since that’s the most ergonomically accurate design for most ears.
That said, I’ve actually been surprised by the security and fit I’ve experienced wearing some larger looking earbuds – namely the Technics EAH-AZ80 – which work because attention has been paid to the new ‘concha’ design. The weight these earbuds carry (a not insubstantial 7g) is well distributed across the housing, so they almost feel as if they hug the ear to stay put.
It’s worth noting that some users with smaller ears find an open-ear design is best, since this avoids the issue of achieving a seal – there’s no neck of the bud having to fit in your ear canal. Examples of this might be the AirPods 3 (which sit in your ear well or tragus, but don’t need to be pushed further into the ear canal) or a completely open-ear design such as the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, which fit almost like an ear cuff.
As always, all ears are different and while we can point you in the right direction, there’s going to be a degree of trial and error here. What we can tell you is, there’s a set of earbuds out there for you even if you have small ears – and it’s well worth experimenting to find them.
Should I consider over-ears instead?
It’s a very good question, although the answer, as with so many things, will come down to personal preference and how (or when) you like to listen to your music.
Even five years ago, I might have suggested that if you want an excellent fit and you have very small ears, you probably need to be looking at over-ear headphones, but thanks to incredible advancements in onboard mics, batteries, Bluetooth chipsets (with anti-phase tech for ANC) and driver manufacture, ever-smaller earbuds – with ever-improving spec sheets – are arriving daily.
That said, some people still find the nature of an in-ear design hard to get used to. I’ve had emails from readers who find almost all earbuds painful, intrusive or even nauseating, regardless of their ear size. Others don’t experience any issues at all. We are wonderfully unique, you see.
Do you carry a small bag to work? Earbuds, which can be stored easily in their diminutive case and eve thrown in a pocket, are tempting aren’t they? Those big ‘don’t talk to me’ over-ears need a bigger tote bag at the very least.
My advice, as always, is not to rush this purchase. You and your earbuds will be spending a lot of time together, after all. Ask yourself which listening style best suits your lifestyle as well as your physicality, read our reviews and, if you have the time, visit a bricks-and-mortar store to try your shortlisted options on before you buy.
Are there any earbuds I should avoid if I have smaller ears?
OK, real talk. Leading on from the point above, earbuds are only getting smaller now. Since their arrival not yet a decade ago, manufacturers are seemingly in a race to squirrel drivers, batteries, spatial audio processing and mics into ever decreasing true wireless earpieces. Take the 2015 Onkyo W800BT, the first widely available true wireless earbuds proposition. Each earbud came in at 8.5g – impressive at the time, huge by today’s standards (consider the 3.3g earpiece JLab has offered with the 2023 JBuds Mini for reference).
What I’m saying is, it pays to look for newer products since brands typically seek to better previous offerings with each fresh iteration – and size is a great spec to start with.
Some people find Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds 2 and newer Earbuds Ultra (a very similar proposition physically, at least) a little on the bulky side. That said, others think Bose’s unique ear tips, which cover the whole housing rather than just the neck of the bud, particularly secure.
Again, you need to find what works for you.
How we test the best earbuds for small ears
Why you can trust TechRadar
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Each and every year, we test scores of earbuds at TechRadar, which means we know precisely which perks, features, specs and earbud weights stand out as unusual and remarkable – and naturally, we recognise excellent sound-per-pound value when we hear it.
We arrive at the fully star-rated verdicts within our reviews by comparing the capabilities (including comfort, sound quality, features, battery life, overall design, noise cancellation and spatial audio processing) of each set of each set of earbuds not just in isolation, but against the very best reference sets at the level – and by ‘level’ we mean ‘for around the same price’. Our reason for being is to know the best product at each price-point, so whether you have $1,500 or $15 to spend, we want you to buy the best thing within your budget.
We also test the audio performance using myriad musical genres and by streaming from several reference sources (including the gamut of music streaming services, plus downloaded music from dedicated hi-res audio players), using carefully curated playlists which we’ve been adding to and finessing over many years.
To test active noise cancellation and transparency modes, we use real-world environments such as public transport, our own bustling offices, flights or our home cities under strict, controlled, like-for-like tests. We do this to ensure that no option unfairly outshines its competition.
We put our all into what we do (if it’s fitness earbuds we’re testing, you’d better believe we’re out there running that 5k over lunch) and we’re truly confident that our star-rated reviews are the best indication of the quality and comfort of the earbuds in this list.
The latest updates to this guide
22 March, 2024
This guide was created, to help people choose the best earbuds for wearers with small ears, right now.